Monthly Archives: January 2012

Vampires take center stage in powerful one-man show 

Michael Shooner. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

New Edgecliff Theatre today announced an exciting addition to NET’s performance line up with the regional premiere of Conor McPherson’s “St. Nicholas”. This chilling one-man show features NET Executive Director Michael Shooner and is directed by Brian Robertson. “St. Nicholas” will run in NET’s newly-created major production slot, Feb. 23-March 10.

In “St. Nicholas”, a burned-out, cynical theatre critic becomes infatuated with a young actress. Leaving his wife and children in Dublin to pursue his obsession, things become complicated in London when he finds himself in the employ of a coven of vampires! Already a metaphorical vampire himself, his confrontation with very real ones forces him to face his own demons and earn some measure of redemption. The New York Times says, “The narrative swings through so many forms of storytelling — from self-serving lies born of drunkenness to a proper Brothers Grimm-like fable…McPherson’s ear for detail is devastating.”

“St. Nicholas” was written by Dublin playwright Conor McPherson. His plays include “The Seafarer” (premiered on Broadway in 2007), “Poor Beast in the Rain”, “Port Authority”, “Dublin Carol” (premiered on Broadway in 2002), “The Weir” (premiered on Broadway in 1999), and “This Lime Tree Bower”. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play in 2006 for “Shining City”, which premiered on Broadway in 2006; nominated for the 2002 South Bank Show Award for Best Play for “Port Authority”; received the 1999 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play, the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright, the Critics Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright and was a finalist for the Lloyds Bank Playwright of the Year Award for “The Weir”; and was the joint winner of 1997 George Devine Award and the winner of the Meyer Whitworth Award for “St. Nicholas”.

New Edgecliff founder Michael Shooner returns to the NET stage for the first time since his CEA-nominated turn as Dysart in 2009’s “Equus”. Other roles at NET have included Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman”, Roma in “Glengarry Glen Ross”, Teach in “American Buffalo” and Cliff in “The Woolgatherer”. His first one-man show was also NET’s inaugural production, Eric Bogosian’s “Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll”, in 1998. He was seen in the Cincinnati Playhouse production of “The Hostage” and has also performed at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in “The Weir”, “Romeo & Juliet” and “All My Sons”.

Originally from Los Angeles, Brian Robertson has spent much of his time working in film and television in the area of cinematography, as well as working as a director and stage manager in Theatre and Opera. He received his MFA in Directing from CCM. Locally, Brian has been teaching in the NKU Theatre and Dance department since 1998, as well as functioning as a guest director and instructor at CCM. He has worked for Cincinnati Opera, Sarasota Opera, Bay View Music Festival, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Opera North, and Des Moines Metro Opera among others.

“St. Nicholas” runs from February 23 – March 10, 2012, Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm. The Columbia Performance Center is located at 3900 Eastern Avenue, near Terry’s Turf Club, Allyn’s, Bella Luna, Tostado’s and The Precinct. Single ticket prices range from $15-$23. Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as Enjoy the Arts members. To purchase tickets or for more information call the NET Box Office at 888.588.0137, or go online at http://www.newedgecliff.com.

For mature audiences only.

NET is a grateful recipient of the League of Cincinnati Theatres’ Local Guest Equity Support.